SXSW Panel: Mind Your Manners

The temporary society that is SXSW requires adherence to a few simple rules, according to a panel discussion held at the conference today.

Image by Liang Shi for KUT News

A panel entitled "How Not To Be a Douchebag at SXSW" kicked off the SXSW Interactive conference this afternoon, featuring four SXSW veterans and and noted members in the tech industry.

The four speakers gave pointers to newcomers of the conference on how to behave properly without making a joke of themselves.

"Don't be a pitch," said Amber Osborne, Vice President of Head of Lettuce Media, who commented that nothing was worse than being hit with a drive by shooting of business cards.

Another faux pas to avoid is "badge surfing," said Ed Hunsinger of Free For All Media. Hunsinger said many SXSW participants have a bad habit of judging if they want to talk to someone based on the company written on a badge instead of focusing on the person in front of them.

Other advice given included etiquette on how to leave a panel quietly, keeping pitches short, and being humble and open towards others.

The four panelists included: Amber Osborne, Ed Hunsinger, John Adams and Scott Beale.

South by Southwest's 2010 conference injected $113 million dollars into the city's economy, mainly from people who traveled to Austin to attend. That's according to a new economic report from GreyHill Advisors, whom SXSW commissioned to conduct the study.

You can read a five page executive summary of the report on GreyHill's website. Here are some highlights: